Russia's Nuclear Shield: From World's First ICBM to 'Dead Hand' System

The Russian "doomsday machine" continues to safeguard the country's sovereignty and national interests, RIA Novosti contributor Alexander Khrolenko writes, shedding light on how Perimeter, an automatic nuclear-control system dubbed 'Dead Hand,' actually works.


Exactly 60 years ago the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) took to the skies from the Soviet cosmodrome Baikonur. According to Alexander Khrolenko, it was the first step on the way to creating Russia's nuclear shield.

"The R-7 [the NATO reporting name SS-6 Sapwood] designers managed to launch the missile on the third attempt on August 21, 1957; the rocket traveled a distance of 5,600 kilometers [3,480 mi] and delivered a warhead to the Kura proving ground," the commentator wrote.

"Six days later the USSR officially announced that it had an operational ICBM — a year earlier than the United States did," Khrolenko pointed out, "Thus, the Soviet Union dramatically expanded its security perimeter."



© SPUTNIK/ SERGEI MALGAVKO
'Dead Hand', Bunkers and Missile Shield: This is How Russia Can Survive Potential Nuclear Attack

However, the USSR and its legal successor, the Russian Federation, continued to move forward and improve its nuclear shield.

Today, Russia's most powerful ICBM R-36M2 Voyevoda (SS-18 Mod 5) is capable of carrying 10 combat units with a capacity of 170 kilotons to a distance of up to 15,000 kilometers (9,320 mi), Khrolenko highlighted.

But that is not all: the ICBM's algorithms for combat use have been improved. In addition, the domestic nuclear deterrent system which is comprised of land, sea and aerial means of delivery of nuclear charges has become even more complicated.

Today, Russia's nuclear triad guarantees the annihilation of a potential aggressor under any circumstances, the journalist stressed.

"Russia is capable of launching a retaliatory atomic strike even in the event of the death of the country's top leadership," he elaborated, referring to the famous Perimeter System, also known as the Dead Hand, which was developed in the Soviet Union in the early 1970s.

The concept came as a response to the US strategic doctrine of a "decapitation strike" aimed at destroying a hostile country's leadership in order to degrade its capacity for nuclear retaliation.

"This system duplicated the functions of a command post automatically triggering the launch of the Russian nuclear missiles if the country's leadership was destroyed by a nuclear strike," Leonid Ivashov, president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, explained in his interview with the Russian newspaper Vzglyad.



© PHOTO: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
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Perimeter took up combat duty in January 1985 and in subsequent years the defense system had ensured the country's safety, monitoring the situation and maintaining control over thousands of its nuclear warheads.

So, how does the system work?

"Whilst on duty, stationary and mobile control centers [of the system] are assessing seismic activity, radiation level, air pressure and temperature; monitoring military radio frequencies and registering the intensity of communications; keeping a close watch on missile early warning system data," Khrolenko elaborated.

After analyzing these and other data, the system can autonomously make a decision about a retaliatory nuclear attack in case the country's leadership is unable to activate the combat regime.

© SPUTNIK/ VLADIMIR FEDORENKO
Launching an RS-20 Voyevoda (SS-18 Satan) intercontinental ballistic missile (File)

"Having detected the signs of a nuclear strike, Perimeter sends a request to the General Staff," the journalist explained, "Having received a 'calming' response, it returns to the mode of analysis of the situation."

However, if the General Staff's line is dead Perimeter will immediately request the strategic "Kazbek" missile control system. If "Kazbek" doesn't respond either, Perimeter's autonomous control and command system — which is based on artificial intelligence software — will make a decision to retaliate.

"It can accurately 'understand' that its time has come," Khrolenko noted, stressing that there is no way to neutralize, shut down or destroy the Perimeter system.

"It is no coincidence that Western military analysts dubbed the system 'Dead Hand'," the journalist remarked.



© AFP 2017/ ALEXANDER NEMENOV
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After the end of the Cold War, the Russian "doomsday machine" was removed from combat duty in 1995.

However, "the United States and its allies did not appreciate this gesture of goodwill of the leadership of the Russian Federation, and began to actively create the world of 'American exceptionalism', with NATO proceeding to move closer to Russian borders," Khrolenko pointed out.

Thus, in December 2011 the commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Sergei Karakaev, announced in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda that the Perimeter system was up and running again.

"It's worth mentioning that Russia also has the equally powerful Oceanic Multi-Purpose Status-6 System equipped with warheads with a capacity of 100 megatons and, possibly, many other systems unknown to the general public," Khrolenko concluded.




Credit to Sputnik

Top 5 Divine Signs From Heaven

“By the word of Hashem the heavens were made, by the breath of His mouth, all their host.” Psalms 33:6 (The Israel Bible™)






As a rare and portentous total solar eclipse approaches the North American continent on Monday, heaven-watchers the world over will hold their breath in anticipation of a divine event written in the skies and reflected in the world of men. The event signals the beginning of the month of Elul, the last month of the Hebrew year, and the start of the days of repentance. Jews the world over will prepare to face their Maker on the upcoming holy days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur as the momentous year 5777 draws to a close.

This Hebrew calendar year was full of signs from above: from eclipses to comets, from the birth of new stars to the discovery of new planets, the heavens drew aside the divine veil to reveal that God’s control of the universe is eternal and abiding. Many religious leaders and respected Jewish thinkers understood these rare and exciting events to correspond to ancient texts, prophecies and portents of the world to come.

On the eve of the highly-anticipated solar eclipse, Breaking Israel News took a look back at the biggest astronomical events of the year and what they mean for the Jewish people and the nations.

1. 100-Year-Old Jewish Prophecy Predicts Solar Eclipse Portends Destruction of North Korea

(Breaking Israel News)

In one of the biggest stories of the year, Breaking Israel News discovered a prophetic connection between the upcoming total solar eclipse, traversing North America on August 21, and the rise of tensions between the US and North Korea by bringing to light a 100-year-old prophecy foretelling that a solar eclipse occurring in the beginning of the Hebrew month of Elul will bring with it suffering for the “Kings of the East”. The prophecy, coming at a time of escalating nuclear threats between President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, seemed to point directly to Jong-Un as the “eastern King” soon to be deposed. Other Jewish understandings of the eclipse saw in it a warning to the Jews and the nations, as mystic thought holds that Jews are represented by the moon and the nations are represented by the sun. Rabbi Lazar Brody said that the eclipse, only visible over America, was a warning to Americans lapsing into moral abomination, while Rabbi Pinchas Winston told Breaking Israel News it was a call for righteous Christians in the US to repent and for Jewish Americans to come to Israel.

2. Stunning Research Reveals Incredible Alignment of Holy Tabernacle and Celestial Movements

(Shutterstock)

An engineer’s unique understanding of the Holy Tabernacle’s construction led him to the stunning revelation that the dimensions of the Tabernacle as described in the Bible unmistakably correlated to significant astronomical measurements such as the lengths of planetary orbits and lunar years. The discovery reflected an ancient Jewish belief that the Tabernacle in the desert was the pivotal point of connection between heaven and earth, God and man, spiritual and material. In fact, Rabbi Yosef Berger noted, the Tabernacle was made in a process which mirrored Creation itself, enabling man, tied to a physical existence, to access higher dimensions of holiness on Earth.

3. Astonishing Astral Confluence Sees Eclipse, Full Moon and Comet on Jewish Holiday

(Shutterstock)

Also in February, three astronomical events converged on a Shabbat which also happened to be a Jewish holiday, Tu B’Shvat, an arboreal celebration of the changing seasons. A penumbra lunar eclipse, the “snow moon” – a full moon in February – and the passing of a comet all appeared in the skies within a few hours of each other. Israeli amateur astronomer Ira Machefsky pointed out that Tu B’Shvat is a holiday with particular astrological significance, as it marks the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

4. NASA Discovery of 7-Planet System Conforms Exactly to Zohar’s Description of Pre-Messiah “Nibiru”

This artist’s concept shows what each of the TRAPPIST-1 planets may look like, based on available data about their sizes, masses and orbital distances. (Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech)

After Nibiru, a catastrophic planet-sized object whose collision with earth was predicted by more than one Jewish scholar in 2016, failed to appear, the subject lost traction for many who follow the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. However, when NASA announced it had discovered a seven-planet star system in February of 2017, one Nibiru expert pointed out to Breaking Israel News that the discovery conformed precisely to the Zohar’s description of the foretold astronomic event precipitating the Messiah: “A star will rise up on the east, blazing in all colors, and seven other stars will surround that star.” He identified the new star and its seven planets as Nibiru, or “Planet X.”

5. New Star to Appear in Night Sky, Heralding Balaam’s Prophecy of Messiah

(Shutterstock)

When scientists announced that an ancient collision would appear in a blaze of light in 2022, revealing a brand-new star in a stunning celestial event witnessed by the naked eye for the first time in recorded history, prominent scholar Rabbi Yosef Berger immediately made the connection between the new star and the fulfillment of Balaam’s End-of-Days prophecy, which holds that the appearance of a new star will accompany the coming of the Messiah.

Credit to Breaking Israel News
Read more at https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/93494/eve-total-eclipse-top-five-heavenly-bible-signs-5777/#QchSgYG65izqFYrI.99

The latest escalation in the deteriorating diplomatic relations between the US and Russia

The latest escalation in the deteriorating diplomatic relations between the US and Russia was unveiled this morning, when the US embassy in Russia announced it was scaling back its visa services in Russia after Moscow ordered it to sharply cut its diplomatic staff in retaliation over new U.S. sanctions, and would suspend all non-immigrant visa operations in Russia starting August 23, although visa operations will be resumed on September 1, but only in the main embassy building in Moscow. 

As disclosed in the US embassy statement, "as a result of the Russian government’s personnel cap imposed on the U.S. Mission, all nonimmigrant visa (NIV) operations across Russia will be suspended beginning August 23, 2017.  Visa operations will resume on a greatly reduced scale.  Beginning September 1, nonimmigrant visa interviews will be conducted only at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.... As of 0900 Moscow time Monday, August 21, the U.S. Mission will begin canceling current nonimmigrant visa appointments countrywide. 

The greatly reduced US mission in Russia also said that "the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and three consulates will continue to provide emergency and routine services to American citizens, although hours may change."

"Capacity for interviews in the future will be greatly reduced because we have had to greatly reduce our staffing levels to comply with the Russian government’s requirement," the embassy told applicants in a note on its web site. 

While previously Russian citizens could apply for tourist visas in local US consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, today's announcement ends this practice, forcing applicants to go to the Russian capital: "NIV interviews at the U.S. Consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok are suspended until further notice... The staffing changes will also affect the scheduling of some immigrant visa applicants.  Affected applicants will be contacted if there is a change as to the time and date of their interview."

The move, which will further sour already battered U.S.-Russia relations, means Russian citizens wanting to visit the United States for tourism will no longer be able to apply via U.S. consulates outside Moscow and will have to travel to the Russian capital instead. 

The action comes on the heels of Moscow’s order to cut the American diplomatic corps by 755 people and bring it to the numbers equivalent to Russian diplomatic staff in the US, which is 455 people. To meet the deadline of the Russia’s order, which expires on September 1, the US diplomatic mission has already begun “planning for departures and staff reductions.”

The US embassy in Moscow also condemned Moscow’s decision on the diplomatic staff reduction, saying that it casts doubt on the will to improve the bilateral relations. “Russia’s decision to reduce the United States’ diplomatic presence here calls into question Russia’s seriousness about pursuing better relations,” the embassy statement said.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said earlier this month that the United States had issued around 150,000 visas to Russian citizens last year. The U.S. embassy signaled its new scaled back visa regime could be in place for some time. "We will operate at reduced capacity for as long as our staffing levels are reduced," it said. 

Shortly after the announcement, A Russian senator quoted by RIA news agency said that Russia will respond in kind to U.S. visa changes: "New U.S. visa rules for Russians are a demarche", RIA Novosti reported, citing member of Federation Council Andrey Klimov. 

Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the US decision to scale back visa services in Russia was an attempt to stir up ill-feeling among ordinary Russians against the authorities. Lavrov, speaking at a joint news conference in Moscow with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, said that "the American authors of these decisions have come up with another attempt to stir up discontent among Russian citizens about the actions of the Russian authorities. It's a well known logic ... and this it the logic of those who organize color revolutions," Lavrov told reporters.

Lavrov, who said the decision suggested Washington didn't think its reduced diplomatic staff could adapt to new circumstances, said Russia would carefully study the U.S. decision and promised that Moscow would not take out its anger on ordinary U.S. citizens.

Credit to Zero Hedge

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